Проблемы литератур Дальнего Востока. Часть 1

Новые вопросы изучения классической китайской литературы... Issues of Far Eastern Literatures. Vol. 1. 2018 199 works by J. Doolittle [ 1 ] or H. C. DuBose [ 2 ]. Regrettably, even the fundamental surveys in Chinese traditional religious system, performed by J. J. M. de Groot ([ 3 ] and [ 9 ]), have never brought up the notion of the Hail God. The paramount Chinese life-mode field-researchers of the 20-th century, like Y. Baranov, giving the whole assortment of Long-wang ( 喽⦻ ) escort, describe all kinds of divinities including catfish shapeshifter [ 4 , 187–191], but also keep silence about the matter of this very exploration. Nothing new add the classical work byYuan Ke [ 24 ] or a special diction- ary of Chinese myths and legends, compiled by him [ 27 ]. Withal power of scattering hailstones and performance of hailstorms according to the mentioned sources (each of them suggesting its own idea) was vested in various supreme beings, starting from abstractive dragons and ending with the Lord of Thunder ( 䴧 ޜ , Lei Gong) who could also appear in diverse shapes. Only in a small number of 20-th century texts the Hail Deity comes into view as a particular individual spirit, but also very briefly and in an infinitesimal scope. Thus one such a reference can be found in “Journey to the land of hunger” ( 佃䜹㌰ 〻 , E xiang ji cheng) by Qiu Qubo ( ⷯ⿻ⲭ , 1899–1935), where God of Hail and Wind Deity Feng-bo ( 付՟ ) are joint by loathing to lively nature of a valley [ 16 , 97]. Surely this kind of a sample reveals nothing substantial in the discussed matter; the only assumption can be made is that the idea to name the Hail God was inspired here by acquaintance with Pu Songling’s tales. With all that, why at long last the God of Hail is referred to in those tales? What special in this deity attracted Pu Songling’s attention so firmly that he returns to this character twice in different novelettes? Apparently the answer must be looked for in two matters — the afterword of the second tale and the historic figure the Hail God is associated with. The afterword says: “Guangwu-jun in due time was skillful in planning great things, so [started] commanding hail in the east, or was it his ineffaceable nature, that [made him] get a heavenly promotion. Whatever [it could have been] — now his position is a deity, so what is the use of [arrogantly] showing off? Taishi Tang’s morality and [liter- ary] talents are highly admired by outstanding personalities  1 , that’s what demons and gods have to seek for from the righteous one” [ 㙺啻ᘇ⮠ (Liaozhai zhiyi, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio), juan 12, — 15 , V. 3, p. 1607]. Taishi ( ཚਢ ) Tang, i. e. Royal Historian Tang is Tang Menglai himself. The mentioned Guangwu-jun ( ᔓ↖ੋ ), i. e. Lord of Guangwu is the sainted (very likely, as will be explained below, by Pu Songling personally) ancient political figure and strategist Li Zuoche ( ᵾᐖ䓺 , 3-d c. B. C.), the skillful planner and advisor of Zhao state daiwang ( ԓ⦻ ) ChenYu ( 䲣佈 , ?–205 B. C.). His wise advises may have helped Zhao to overcome troops of Han general Han Xin ( 七ؑ , 230–196 B. C.), but haven’t been followed. Han Xin crushed Zhao troops and nominated a generous award for live Li Zuozhe. Eventually the latter has been captured 1 The actual time of compilation of the compendium is 977–978.